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Christie's Special Election Decision Hurts New Jersey Workers

June 05, 2013

On behalf of the more than one-million-member New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we express our opposition to Governor Christie’s decision to hold a special election for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat just 20 days before the scheduled general election. Experts estimate that the cost of scheduling this special election will be $12 million.

Time and again, Governor Christie has asked working families to sacrifice in the name of “fiscal responsibility.” Christie cut the Homestead Rebate, and New Jersey’s workers have seen their property taxes rise 19%. Christie instituted massive cuts in education funding, balancing the state budget on the backs of New Jersey’s children. For three years, Christie held off on funding vital infrastructure projects, while thousands of New Jerseyans struggled to find work.

But when it comes to this special election, Governor Christie says that he doesn’t care what the cost will be. This is a slap in the face to the working people of this state. Christie is wasting millions that could be spent to improve the lives of New Jersey families, just so he can avoid hurting his own chances for re-election.

The scheduling of this special election isn’t just fiscally irresponsible, it is also an unnecessary obstacle placed between working families and their right to vote. For many New Jersey workers, it is difficult to get the time off to vote in any election. This will disenfranchise New Jersey workers. Either Governor Christie didn’t understand that, or he didn’t care.